Timing, as they say, is everything. While writing this review of Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park that adage regularly crossed my mind. I can’t shake the feeling that my perception of this park would be different had we reversed the order of the camping trip that brought us to it.
As it happened, Saskatchewan Landing was the three-night encore of our weeklong adventure through southwest Saskatchewan. An interesting one-night interlude in Sceptre was prefaced by a three-night stay at Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park Centre Block.
With two titans of the Saskatchewan Parks system bookending our trip, it’s impossible not to compare the two. And man, I can’t help but wonder had Saskatchewan Landing been first and Cypress Hills last if my review of it would be different.
WHERE IS SASKATCHEWAN LANDING PROVINCIAL PARK
Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park is found toward the western end of Lake Diefenbaker, roughly 50km north of Swift Current. Lake Diefenbaker is the reservoir created by Gardiner and Qu’Appelle River Dams some 160km to the east. The reservoir transitions back to river approximately 35km west of the park. Saskatchewan Landing, from which the park gets its name, was an historic crossing point of the South Saskatchewan River.
Grain farming and ranching dominate this part of Saskatchewan with small towns and ghost towns strung along the few highways in the region. Swift Current is by far the largest population centre and the closest place to the park with a full suite of services.
Here, the South Saskatchewan River has cut into the flat prairie leaving a ribbon of badlands along its course. The reservoir has filled some of the valley, but not all of it, and the valley walls on either side remain scarred with ravines and hills. Get up on top, though, and you’ll see for miles and miles and miles. Queue The Who earworm.
Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park bounds the reservoir north-south and Highway 4 east-west. The result is a banded park that can be divided into quarters with the Highway 4 bridge over the lake being its origin. The resulting park is approximately 18km long and 6km wide.
Park Setting
Not surprisingly, trees and anything bigger taller than grass are rare. You’ll find them in low spots, typically in the ravines. Popular spots within the park, such as campgrounds and recreational areas, have a relative abundance of trees and shrubs. Much of this is likely planted, but between them is native grassland and rock. It’s a stark, humbling, and beautiful place.
Perhaps also not surprisingly, wind is a near constant theme. There’s not much to stop it and the river valley trends east-west, perfect for the Westerlies to come rustle your hair. It was especially gusty during our first night in the park and all the next day. Things finally calmed down that second evening and through the night allowing for a more peaceful sleep. Breezes nonetheless remained present through to the conclusion of our trip. And while I’ll never love wind, it makes me nervous, it does help keep the bugs at bay.
CAMPGROUNDS IN SASKATCHEWAN LANDING PROVINCIAL PARK
Much like Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park Centre Block, Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park is home to multiple campgrounds. In addition to providing plenty of space for vacationers, the multiple campground concept should offer campers differing layouts and settings for their camping adventure.
Saskatchewan Landing has 5 campgrounds plus an equestrian campground and a suite of 4 group camping areas. While they’re not quite as varied as those in Cypress Hills, there is enough distinction that everyone should be able find a campsite to their liking. If you’re keen-eyed and quick-fingered in the reservation portal, you can snag yourself one of handful of campsites that stand far above the rest.
All of the campgrounds, except for the Equestrian Campground, are located on the north side of the reservoir. Four of them are on the east side of Highway 4 and one, as well as the group camping, are on the west side.
I’ll start my reviews at the eastern end of the park with Nighthawk Campground since that is where we camped. I’ll then look at each campground in order moving westward (Riverside, Sagebrush, Bearpaw, Bison Hollow, and Prairie Meadow Group). Finally, I’ll drop to the southwest side to tackle the Equestrian Campground.
Nighthawk Campground
We chose Nighthawk Campground as our destination thanks to a seemingly perfect set of attributes that would make for stellar stargazing. That arguably the best campsite in the entire park happened to be situated in the perfect spot for this endeavour was just icing on the cake.
Nighthawk is an oddity in Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park. Located opposite to Riverside, it’s the only campground located on the north side of the main park road. It’s built into the hills rather than towards the water.
It also has a unique, L-shaped, contiguous loop layout with each rectangular loop having an interior road through their centre. That alone may not be too strange, but the second loop having only 4 of the 26 total campsites, certainly is.
All the campsites are back-ins and electrified. There is no water or sewer service. The first loop you enter when exiting the park road is very much a traditional campground. The 22 campsites within this loop are confined to the interior of the loop but still reasonably spaced so as not to feel cramped.
Each campsite has a gravel driveway; many are angled to the loop road for easier backing into. Between campsites there is decent, unexpectedly green grass. Ratty poplar or cottonwoods dot the loop providing partial shade on most sites. A few of the are almost barren if you prefer sunshine, but the rest offer a nice compromise between sun and shade.
The second loop looks like it was forgotten before completion. As mentioned, there are only 4 sites in the entire loop. A loop, I might add, that is very much similar in size to the first loop. Those four sites are all on the southwest side with three backing into the interior and one on the exterior. None of these are terribly close to each other, making them all rather appealing for those who prefer to be left alone. Basically, it’s a field with four campsites on the side.
That singular site on the loop exterior? Well, that is site 26, the one we reserved, and it very well may be the best campsite in all of Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park. You know when new subdivisions are built on the edge of cities, gobbling up farmland, but they leave the original homestead intact with a larger property than the urban hell they build all around it? Site 26 feels like that original homestead. All alone with grounds easily double the size of any other campsite in the park. It’s a beauty. I can’t believe I was able to snag it and for a summer weekend, no less.
Potable water is bountiful in Nighthawk Campground for unknown reasons. There are seven water taps in total with six of them in the first loop segment alone. The seventh was near our special site in the second loop segment and we made regular use of it for filling our water bottles and the like.
Our site, like the others, came furnished with a picnic table and firepit. The tables are steel based with wood tops and if ours is any indication, they’re in desperate need of a painting. Nonetheless, it did its job satisfactorily.
Firepits at Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park are elaborate creations consisting of a corrugated steel pits topped with rotating grills and a stationary metal surfaces for setting down pots. This configuration is great for people actually cooking meals over a fire. For those of us just looking to sit around a bonfire, maybe roast marshmallows, the rotating grills limit viewing access from certain viewpoints.
Bathrooms in Nighthawk Campground are somewhat interesting. There are two structures, each with two separate stalls. Just looking at them it’s obvious they were pit toilets at one time. Thankfully, they have been converted to flush toilets (sadly, no sinks). Yay!
But you know how you can never really get the smell of decaying flesh out of a room (or so TV tells me)? Well, the same can be said about pit toilets. Despite the conversion, there’s a lingering hint of former putridity in these bathrooms. Not enough to prevent you from using them, but enough to send shivers down your spine wondering what not-so-fresh hell they were before conversion.
Fear not, however, a fancy, new shower house is within walking distance of Nighthawk Campground. I will discuss it in further detail in the Riverside Campground section below. At 300m distance from our campsite, it was well worth the extra footsteps to have a more enjoyable bathroom experience.
As awesome as our campsite is, it wasn’t without flaws. The direct sun beating down on the gravel pad where our trailer sat being the most prominent. The large, ratty trees that sheltered the living space were wonderful for shade, but none were present south or west of the driveway. As a result, our trailer baked in the sun all day and left it a bit toasty inside.
Then there were the insane bees. Not all insects are mere nuisances, some are outright miserable. This sentiment varies with the time of year, of course, but in the latter part of August the bees were unconscionably aggressive. I’ve never witnessed anything like this in all my life. Just the act of setting up our trailer turned them into attacking psychos zipping around our heads and purposely smashing into our temples. We literally had no option but to kill these damned things. And no, they were not wasps. Insane flying bastards all of them!
For our recreational needs, however, the site was perfect. That large, empty field across from us, while odd to exist at all, was ideal for both our bocce games and stargazing. It also would work splendidly for playing catch with a football, baseball, or Frisbee. You could even have a pickup game of soccer in it if you wanted.
The hills immediately behind our site offered up terrific views of Nighthawk Campground as well as the park and lake. The hills surrounding the field did likewise and each has well-worn path up them suggesting that gaining the high ground is popular among campers in this campground.
I was surprised at how empty Nighthawk Campground remained for the entirety of the August weekend we spent there. Not a single RVer showed up on the Friday evening, despite me expecting (and secretly dreading) a rush of weekend warriors. It may not have the accessibility to the lake and/or park facilities that the other campgrounds do, but it’s still nice. We had a great stay in Nighthawk and the fact that others didn’t share this sentiment only made it better. Cheers to us for going against the grain.
Riverside Campground
Based on name alone, Riverside Campground sounds like the most appealing campground in the entire park. And in some ways, it is, but not like you might be thinking. If you’ll allow me to be pedantic for a moment, Bearpaw and Sagebrush Campgrounds are riverside campgrounds as well. As is Bison Hollow. And Prairie Meadows Group for that matter.
More to the point, the actual Riverside Campground would be more appealing if the river it is beside was, you know, still a river. And if we were to imagine this scenario where it is actually Lakeside Campground, a real lake would be more enjoyable than a flooded river valley turned reservoir.
My point being that the land between the campsites and the water isn’t all that exciting to be camping beside. It’s neither valley nor beach but instead an overgrown flood plain that offers limited perks to those camping next to it. But as always, it could be worse. And the view alone, should you wander out the back of your campsite, may very well be worth it.
Riverside Campground is home to 34 back-in campsites, all with electrical service only. It is configured as a single road parallel to the “river” with a turnaround loop at its terminus. At least that is how it was originally envisioned. Streetview on Google confirms this in 2014. However, since that time a second road has been added, possibly by campers themselves, to the first half of the campground creating a loop with no additional campsites.
This partial loop presumably results from the broader width of Riverside Campground near its start. Sites line both sides of the campground; there are no interior campsites. But the original road skews heavily to the inland campsites leaving an overly wide open space in the “middle” of the campground. Campsites along the river would be tremendously long (in some cases 50m), hence the impromptu loop road providing more sensible accessibility to these select campsites.
Your site choice in Riverside greatly depends on your shade preferences. The 22 inland (left side) campsites are almost entirely within a thick (for Saskatchewan) poplar/cottonwood forest. Seriously, some of them look completely hidden in the thick foliage. Not something you expect to see in this part of the country.
A couple of the sites are less treed, but if you truly want sunshine, then you need to turn to the river (right) side of the campground. Campsites 36 to 41, in particular, are far more open though they do have some trees along their hind end. Further along, the remaining river side campsites again return to more sheltered confines, though nothing like those wholly hidden sites across the way.
Another noticeable trait of the river backing campsites is their seemingly tent-only appearance. They are all described as back-in campsites on the Saskatchewan Parks booking site, capable of hosting RVs over 50’ in length. In reality, their combined look is a stretch of grass with a handful of spots for campers to set up tents. And honestly, they would be great for such a setup with sun, a hint of shade, and short scoot to the water.
Each site comes with a picnic table and firepit. Both are identical in construct to those found in all the other campgrounds; a portable metal framed with wood top table and a corrugated steel firepit with rotating grill.
Riverside Campground has two options for hygiene requirements. Right about the centre of the campground, on the water side of the main road, are two bathrooms. These dual huts contain a flush toilet in each stall and little more. Lovely that they are not pit toilets, but the lack of a sink is a bit disappointing.
If you prefer something more modern, you’re in luck. Approximately 100m inland from the midpoint of the campground is a full-service shower house. This shower house looks quite new and serves both Riverside Campground and Nighthawk Campground. There’s a wide, gravel pathway from the campground that allows easy access by foot. It also has a parking lot if you prefer to drive.
Nearly identical to every other shower house in Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park, it has multiple sinks, mirrors, a change table, urinal, and several toilet stalls including an accessible one. Likewise, there are multiple shower stalls present including a large, accessible one with handrails and benches. Each shower stall also has a bit of space for changing, though the non-accessible ones are quite cramped.
Sinks in the shower house have warm water which is nice. However, they also have taps you push down to engage, and they dispense water for about ten seconds. Then you must push them again. Not my favourite setup but it preserves water, I guess.
I actually took a shower here so I can comment on their quality, and I have to say the experience was mixed. The showers also operate via push button, which I’ve never liked mostly because of the lack of temperature control. The stall I chose had a button that provided water for maybe 20 seconds per push. Not ideal. The neighbouring stall, which my son used, had a far longer flow of water per push. Furthermore, his showerhead emitted a proper fan of water whereas mine was little more than a single stream.
Another disappointment with the showers here were the shower curtains. While no different than most such items encountered in campgrounds, they hung from rods unsecured to the walls. They just sat on top of the cinderblocks making them far too easy to pull down. Strange, might I say lazy, way of installing shower curtains.
And to top it all off, by the time we were using this facility in late August, the whole shower house was a bit unpleasant with bugs. I wouldn’t say it was dirty but the abundance of bugs, both alive and dead, were noticeable. This isn’t always easy to avoid but I feel like a bit more effort could be afforded in removing them.
Still, a shower is a shower, and it got us clean. Eventually.
Drinking water is provided by at three taps in Riverside Campground. RV’ers will likely fill tanks prior to arrival, most conveniently at the water filling station across from the Bearpaw dump station.
One final perk at Riverside Campground is the playground. Playgrounds are not rare in this park but being the smallest campground in the park I didn’t expect Riverside to have its own. It is located in an ideal central location, near the bathrooms. While not terribly big, it is modern with two slides, one bumpy and one twirly, all in a bed of sand. It stands in the open sun but the tall trees to the south provide partial shade depending on the time of year.
I certainly wouldn’t shy away from Riverside Campground on future visits to this park. It has a sense of exclusivity being as far from the epicentre of activity as it is. Some of those uber-shaded sites fascinate the hell out of me.
Sagebrush Campground
Heading westward, and back into the heart of the camping experience at Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park, we come to Sagebrush Campground. Sagebrush may sneakily be the nicest campground in the whole park. There are certainly some intriguing campsites, and I’d be inclined to try getting one of them if we return.
Sagebrush Campground has an almost random layout. It looks like a modern subdivision next to Bearpaw’s staid fifties grid layout. With a little squinting, I’d describe it as four loops. Those loops tend to grow from each other, however, with two of them having short shoots from the previous loop. Nothing wrong with this, of course, and it does make for more variation in site configuration.
There are 53 campsites in Sagebrush Campground, 1 of which is a roadside pull-through accessible site. The remaining 52 sites are mostly back-ins but there are a couple of traditional pull-throughs and a couple more roadside pull-throughs. All have electrical service but nothing more. Why, there’s even parking spaces for visitors along the loop roads.
All campsites have gravel driveways with grass between them. A patchwork of shrubs and trees provide partial shade and hints of privacy throughout most of the campground. Younger trees have been planted implying a more shaded future awaits Sagebrush. One loop, however, is already there.
The southwest loop containing sites 5 through 16 is almost entirely hidden beneath tree cover. A handful of these sites are secret hideouts in the trees not unlike the Riverside Campground sites I mentioned above. And being a loop, these sites have a pie-shape to them which must make for glorious space in their interiors. As a dedicated shade lover with a soft spot for privacy, these are the campsites I’d aim to claim.
The east end of Sagebrush Campground is less densely treed, and the campsite driveways tend to be wider. There are even some tiered sites that are elevated from the surrounding ground and have separate RV space from tow vehicle parking space. Variety is the spice of life.
Each campsite has a picnic table and firepit. Nothing unique to these as they are the same metal and wood tables and corrugated steel firepits found in all the park campgrounds. Consistency is a virtue.
Fresh water is taken from three taps found in the campground. This feels like underrepresentation considering Nighthawk Campground has 7 taps for half the number of campsites. But with most campers in Sagebrush having RVs, I imagine they all fill up their tanks prior to entry.
Washroom facilities consist of two sets of standalone bathrooms, one to the west and one to the east, plus a central shower house. The standalone bathrooms are the converted pit toilet structures seen everywhere at Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park. Granted, I’m making an assumption here since I didn’t bother to look inside any of these. From the exterior they looked the same, so I just jumped to a conclusion.
The shower house in Sagebrush Campground is, however, decidedly different than the others found in the park. I suspect it’s an older version and was either the first built in this park or was not replaced with a newer version when all the others were built/upgraded.
Instead of an internalized service area with sinks, toilet stalls, and showers this structure has individual bathroom and shower facilities each accessed from the exterior. Some have toilets and sinks only while others include a shower stall. Still useful and welcome but a different vibe from their newer counterparts.
They also look to have traditional, single knob sink taps which is preferable to the push button style in the newer shower houses. I didn’t look at the showers to see if they employ push buttons or not, my apologies for that oversight. I assume heated water is present in both sink and shower.
Now for peculiarities. The south-central portion of Sagebrush Campground is a bit odd. It’s an extension of the campground with the same trees and shrubs but without any campsites. What it does have is a playground to the west and a picnic shelter to the east.
Great on both accounts, but access to these facilities is lacking. Seriously, there is no obvious public pathway to either. You’re obliged to walk through the grass in between and behind campsites to get to them. It feels like you’re trespassing in doing so. I really don’t understand the logic behind this layout.
The playground is the same vintage and styling as the playground found in Riverside Campground. Metal and plastic climbing apparatus with a couple slides in a bed of sand. It is surrounded by grass and various aged trees. Right now, it’s pretty much open to the summer sun but with time shade may become more prominent. At the very least, supervising parents can hide beneath the nearby trees.
The picnic shelter has similar surroundings and is quite basic. It has its own water tap just outside its walls. The upper walls are open to the elements, so it’s provision of protection in storms will be limited. Inside is a concrete pad with a couple picnic tables. There is no countertop or wood stove like is often found in such structures elsewhere.
It’s a nice enough addition to Sagebrush Campground but I have no idea why it is there. None of the other campgrounds in Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park have a picnic shelter of any kind, not even the group areas in Prairie Meadows Group Campground. A tad odd.
Overall, I guess I’m fond of Sagebrush Campground’s oddities. If I had young kids, I’d try to get a campsite backing towards the playground adopting it as my own for the stay. Now that my kids are older, I’d definitely go for the super-sheltered, pie-shaped campsites. Either way, I left Sask Landing fancying Sagebrush the most.
Bearpaw Campground
Bearpaw Campground is without question the focal point for campers at Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park. Located smack dab in the middle of the northeast quarter of the park, Bearpaw is the largest campground in the whole park. So large, in fact, Bearpaw has more campsites than all the other campgrounds combined.
By all accounts, Bearpaw is considered one campground. However, on the Saskatchewan Parks reservation website it is divided into halves; Bearpaw A and Bearpaw B. The shower house and store serve as the dividing point between the two.
Bearpaw A is the southwest grouping of campsites. There are 107 in total all with electrical service but no water or sewer. Two of these are double sites while the rest are single sites with either back-in or roadside pull-through layouts.
Bearpaw B is the northeast grouping of campsites. There are 79 in total, again all with electrical service but no water or sewer. All 79 are single sites coming in three configurations; traditional pull-through, roadside pull-through, and back-in.
The entirety of Bearpaw Campground is laid out in elongated loops. The loops vary a bit in where they initiate and finish but for all intents and purposes, they establish a grid with sites on either side of the roads.
I should note that many of the back-in campsites sport a non-conventional y-shaped layout. In these, the gravel RV parking pad angles inward in one direction while a gravel, tow vehicle parking pad angles in the other direction. Site amenities tend to exist in the space between the two pads which can sometimes minimize the living space of the campsite.
The bulk of the campground is well-treed though there are some sites with more exposure to the sun. These more open campsites tend to be along loops closer to the main park road whereas the more shaded sites trend towards the lake.
While the more densely forested loops are not as confined or hidden as the similarly treed spots in Riverside and Sagebrush, there are some segments in Bearpaw that give off an eerie atmosphere. The arched trees create a canopy above the campsites and access roads but do so in a wispy sense that made me think of humungous spiderwebs. I swear I wasn’t drinking!
Where trees dominate, the sites tend to be predominantly dirt and gravel. Get some sunshine, however, and grass becomes more common. And generally speaking, campsites backing towards the lake in the loops closest to the water tend to be deeper and obviously have no backside neighbours.
Personally, I’d prefer one of these sites even if the funky trees give me a bit of the willies. They’re bigger and closer to the water while also being further from busy gathering spots like the playground and store. A little less noise is always preferable for crusty ole me.
If you’ve been reading from the beginning, then you’ll expect there to be a selection of potable water taps around Bearpaw Campground. And you would be correct. There are many. Pretty much every road has at least one so you shouldn’t be far from a source of fresh water. RVers, of course, should fill tanks before getting into the campground. There’s even a purpose built filling station on the main park road across from this very campground for your convenience.
Bathrooms also come in the now expected two varieties. There are several pairs of converted pit toilets dotting Bearpaw Campground. They now host flush toilets but do not have sinks.
Additionally, there are two shower houses. Yes, two, though I will only show you pictures from one of them since I did not realize there was a second until after we had left. You don’t expect me to travel up and down every single campground road in a park of this size, do you? I was on a bike! I am not a fit man!
The shower house I did visit is hard to miss. It’s a modern hygiene service centre right next to the campground store in the centre-front of Bearpaw. Almost identical to the same facilities near Riverside and Bison Hollow, this shower house will keep you clean and pretty for the duration of your stay. I didn’t personally use this one but see no reason to believe it would behave any differently than the one I did use. So, expect push button showers and sink taps with varying quality of water flow from stall to stall. Accessible stalls are also available.
The one notable difference at this central shower house is a coin-op laundromat. This is a wonderful addition and surely welcome in a park of this size with families enjoying summer vacations. Kids and adults are sure to get their clothes dirtied up and/or sweaty while doing their favourite recreational activities. Quite a spacious laundromat too.
The second shower house I did not see myself. It’s located between sections of Bearpaw B. Using trusty Google satellite and street view imagery, I can safely state that this second shower house is similar to the one I described in Sagebrush Campground. Still nice, but with individual rooms accessed from the exterior. Not a bad thing to have around but begs the question why doesn’t Bearpaw A also have one?
Following the shower house lead, there are also two playgrounds in Bearpaw Campground of which I only saw one. Not surprisingly, the one I saw is a hundred metres or so behind the campground store and accompanying shower house.
This playground is much like the others with metal and plastic climbing apparatus in a sand base. This one does have a set of swings which I don’t recall seeing at the other playgrounds. It also has a small, all-plastic climber that looks to predate the newer, larger addition.
The second playground is in Bearpaw B, also behind the second shower house in Bearpaw B. See the trend? I didn’t see this one either and Google isn’t providing any help in seeing what it looks like. If you camp near it, consider its appearance a fun mystery to unravel after you’re settled in.
Another unique attribute that the other campgrounds don’t have is a dedicated green space. It’s located between the last row of campsites and the reservoir, roughly in the centre of Bearpaw Campground though skewing more towards Bearpaw B. Aside from a gravel trail along its one side, there is nothing in this green space byeond the mowed lawn. A good spot for playing catch with your kid or your dog, if not both.
Bearpaw Campground is also home to a large storage parking lot. I suppose this is where you might stow your boat when not on the lake. It’s located next to the wood lot at the southwest end of the campground. Visitors could also park here though there are additional visitor parking spaces along some of the campground roads.
I can see the appeal of Bearpaw Campground. I imagine families would love it here. It’s close to much of the action in Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park including a small beach and, of course, the store and restaurant. Close to ice cream is never a bad thing.
At this stage of my life, though, I prefer a little space between me and the action. Add in our stargazing hobby, something that just won’t work in Bearpaw, I’m content with the other campgrounds for a campsite. As always with these decisions, your milage may vary.
Bison Hollow Campground
I have a theory that Bison Hollow Campground and Prairie Meadow Group Campground were all one big happy regular campground at one time. As customer demand evolved, half of it was converted to group camping and half remained regular camping. I offer no evidence beyond the contiguous layout of the two campgrounds.
None of that really matters much other than I find it a bit odd having a single campground located in the northwest section of Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park when all the other traditional campgrounds are in the northeast section. That said, Bison Hollow is the only traditional campground that is somewhat close to Cottonwood Beach and associated day use area. Hey, maybe all the campgrounds should have been on this side of the park.
Bison Hollow Campground is comprised of 24 electrical campsites in two pseudo-loop segments. The only exception is two sites mysteriously situated immediately south of Prairie Meadow Group 1. Why these two sites are part of Bison Hollow Campground and not the group site is beyond my pay grade, but they’re awesome campsites with fantastic lake views. Grab one if you can. All the campsites are back-in with some being especially long and capable of handling really big RVs.
The easterly segment is the more treed of the two, but it is far from forested. Several sites in this loop have only minor shade at best. If you really like sun, most of the sites in the westerly segment are pretty much wide open to the skies with only a single tree nearby for any semblance of shade. For such a dry place, they have a surprising amount of green grass on and between campsites. Perhaps some irrigation takes place, but I can’t confirm nor deny this.
Site driveways are gravel though several look to be overgrowing with weeds. I’m not sure how busy this campground is, frankly. There were campers present, but Bison Hollow was hardly full. The better sites get the action though and it is clear the lesser sites are left unloved.
As mentioned, all 24 campsites have electrical service but nothing else. Water taps are present around the campground for your needs. As always, fill up your RV tanks beforehand.
Each campsite has its own picnic table and firepit. Those tables are mobile so you might find yours on a neighbouring campsite. The firepits are corrugated steel with a rotating grate above.
Firewood is provided free of charge in a pile within a triangular open area at the west end of the campground. It is the same wood available at the main wood lot in Bearpaw Campground. It’ll be dry or wet depending on the weather and you’ll need an ax or sizable hatchet to cut it down into useable chunks.
Bathroom needs are best met at the new shower house located at the eastern edge of the campground. Two ratty looking pit toilet structures are also present inside the easterly segment. I couldn’t get inside either of them so they may be decommissioned. They’re so close to the shower house anyway, I’m not sure why anyone would choose to use them.
The shower house has everything you need including a paved parking lot. Sinks, mirrors, change tables, the whole nine yards, complement the expected urinals and flush toilets. Showers are individual stand-up stalls with small change areas. Accessible all-in-one shower and bathroom facilities offer significant space for those requiring it.
Prairie Meadow Group Campground
To reiterate, I figure Prairie Meadow Group Campground must have been a regular campground at one time. And if not, then it was designed no differently and simply tagged as group camping for sake of ease. It really looks like nothing more than an extension Bison Hollow Campground.
Located at the far west end of the northwest section of the park, it’s the perfect location for group camping. Or it would be if it wasn’t for Bison Hollow being so close. Well-isolated from the primary campgrounds and private accommodations of the main park facilities in the northeast, group campers can enjoy themselves a little more loudly here without disturbing others. Or they could if Bison Hollow … you get the picture.
Prairie Meadow Group Campground consists of four group areas numbered as 1 through 4 moving east to west. All four are contiguous with each other (and Bison Hollows), strung like a ribbon parallel to the lake. Combined, they are configured as a large loop with a couple of cross-cut roads separating individual group areas.
Group Sites 1 and 4 are the larger of the four, capable of hosting 10 camping units. The smaller Group Sites 2 and 3 only have room for 5 camping units. These latter two are also the most shaded of the four being almost entirely treed with big cottonwoods/poplars. The larger two have some trees as well but less densely populated and with several fully open spaces.
As alluded to above, each Group Area is comprised of 5 or 10 traditional campsites, typically back-in style. Many have their own individual electrical hookup whereas firepits are communal, with only one or two in each group area.
That the entire group camping area has site-specific electrical service is great and a rarity among group campsites we’ve seen over the years. Water service, however, does not exist at such granularity. There are a couple of fresh water taps in the area but if you’re camping with an RV, you’ll want to fill up your tanks. Or fill some jugs up. Similarly, there is no sewer service on site but the dump station across from Bison Hollow allows for convenient emptying when you leave.
Flush toilets are also present, which is great. Two stand-alone units can be found between Prairie Meadow 1 and 2. These are simplified, pit-toilet structures but with flush toilets inside. For more luxurious attention to your hygiene needs, a full-service shower house is present at the east end of Bison Hollow. That’s 500m away from the furthest end of Prairie Meadow Group Campground making it walkable for everyone group camping at Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park.
Firewood is also readily available from a wood pile between Bison Hollow Campground and Prairie Meadows Group Campground. Sorry, my picture of this smaller pile of wood didn’t turn out so I can’t include it in this review. But it’s the same wood you’ll find at the main wood pile in Bearpaw Campground, only closer, making it much more convenient.
One thing that is missing compared to most group campgrounds is a picnic shelter. None of the Prairie Meadows group sites has one which seems like an oversight on the park’s part. Whenever I’ve gone group camping, a picnic shelter for group meals has always been integral to the experience.
Still, I’ve seen worse group sites. I’d love for actual separation between four group areas. You know, just for some extra privacy. And being detached from Bison Hollow would be preferable. But I’m getting picky now.
Equestrian Campground
No matter your route in getting to Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park, the presence of an Equestrian Campground won’t come as a shock. Riding horses is as common as bicycles in these parts and for hundreds of miles around. Going camping with your horses is a natural progression.
Perfectly located in southwest quarter of the park, west of Goodwin House, the Equestrian Campground is isolated from the populated and busy parts of the park. Only the Prairie Vista trailhead will bring non-horse people into the area. That leaves plenty of raw, river valley to explore on your trusty steed.
Now, I know that horse folk are hardly high-maintenance types. They don’t require luxury glamping surroundings to enjoy their adventure, but my initial reaction to the Equestrian Campground was one of being underwhelmed. Sure, this is a tough environment, but I wasn’t expecting this little campground to be quite as derelict looking. Maybe it’s just underused and therefore gets less care and concern from the operator.
There are nine campsites in total, two of which are roadside pull-through style and seven of which are back-ins. All reside in the interior of a single loop on the south side of the park road.
The campsites are quite basic with a gravel drive bound by weedy grass. Half-dead poplar or cottonwood trees alongside random shrubs give some shade and privacy most notably between the centre strip of the loop where sites back onto each other. Each is festooned with a picnic table and fire pit. None have any services.
Oddly, there is no water available in the campground for people. There is an old water pump providing water for your horses, but the sign states it is only for the horses. I suggest you bring your own.
On the other hand, the park does provide a small pile of firewood to use. This saves you having to drive to the main wood lot in Bearpaw Campground.
There is a bathroom present, though it is pit style only. Like I said, horse folk are people of the earth. They don’t need fancy facilities for such rudimentary human tasks. But if you did want nicer bathrooms, you’re a drive away from any in the main campgrounds.
At the south end of the campground, a short offshoot enters a large, round field designed for loading/unloading of horses and, if needed, storing your stock trailer. This is also used by day riders who come to the Equestrian Campground to ride with no intention of spending the night.
As for the horses, they seem to be well looked after. A row of steel corrals is found along the east boundary of the campground. These too have partial shelter from the sun which I’m sure the horses appreciate. The manure pile in August showed plenty of evidence the facility is being used though there were no campers or horses present the Thursday afternoon I toured through.
Signage, both next to the unused registration kiosk (you can reserve online) and on the toolshed share the many unique rules for using the Equestrian Campground. If I was a horse owner, I’d be game to try a weekend of camping and riding here. I’d prefer a human water source, but I can figure out a way to bring my own.
PRIVATE ACCOMMODATIONS AT SASKATCHEWAN LANDING
As is common in these larger, resort style provincial parks, Saskatchewan Landing is home to three private campgrounds and a residential development. All four are found in the main, northeast section of the park, east of Highway 4.
The first private campground you’ll encounter is Landing View which is located across the road from the marina and golf course. I can’t find any information about this seasonal campground online, but it does have dedicated gravel pathways to the golf course clubhouse. I must therefore assume it’s popular with golfers and members of the club.
Further up the road and around a bend is the housing development conveniently called Saskatchewan Landing. It’s on the lake side of the main park road, immediately before Bearpaw Campground. I call this a housing development because there’s no way these structures could ever be considered cottages or cabins. Fully insulated, with basements and double garages, they’re undoubtedly homes.
Several have backyards looking out over the lake offering exceptional views. There’s also a network of paved cart paths connecting to Bearpaw Campground and, of course, the marina and golf course. No doubt affluent Saskatchewanians with boats and/or golfing hobbies call these second homes … uhh … home.
Between Sagebrush Campground and Riverside Campground, you’ll find Cactus Blume Campground. With 166 seasonal campsites, most of which are well-sheltered by mature trees, this campground is better suited to those not as keen on the sun or daily golfing. Again, there is little information about this campground on the web. No idea how you’d learn more about getting a seasonal site here.
And finally, immediately northeast of Riverside Campground, and representing the last development in Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park, is Glamping Resorts Campground. Glamping Resorts offers a twist on private camping by providing luxury canvas cabins to rent rather than RVs. Cabins come in Family and Couples versions in a well-treed, lakeside location. It’s a neat idea for those looking to enjoy an outdoor experience while retaining many of the perks of hotel stays.
I didn’t get a chance to snoop around any of these private establishments. Just a picture from afar which doesn’t show too much. I didn’t feel it was my place to go looking any closer and it wasn’t the purpose of my review anyway.
AMENITIES AT SASKATCHEWAN LANDING PROVINCIAL PARK
Park Entrance
The long, sweeping main entrance to Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park runs through the golf course on the north side of the lake and east of Highway 4. The entrance road quickly turns into two lanes as it makes its 400m journey to the gatehouse.
The implication of this lengthy, double lane entrance road is a bit scary. It implies that there are times with substantial lineups and waits to get into the park. We didn’t experience anything like that during our stay. Thankfully. Though we did arrive on a Thursday afternoon rather than the presumably busier Friday evening.
The gatehouse doubles as the park office. It’s larger than a simple entry kiosk and has a handful of parking spots on the north side for anyone wishing to go inside. Staff offer check-in services and basic park assistance. There is no store or visitor centre inside. Park and Campground fees are posted on a fence as you approach the service window.
A second gatehouse is located on the road to Bison Hollow Campground and the Prairie Meadow Group Campground, west of Highway 4. Much smaller than the park office, it appears to be used only periodically. To my eyes, it looks completely abandoned but signage indicates that it is open sometimes.
Goodwin House
Possibly the biggest disappointment of our stay at Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park was Goodwin House. An incredible stone home built over a century ago, long before this land was a provincial park, Goodwin House now functions as a visitor centre, museum, and gift shop.
Standing guard in a swath of grass overlooking what was once a critical crossing of the South Saskatchewan River, the exterior is gorgeous. What the interior looks like, I haven’t a clue.
Our camping trip spanned August 21st to August 24th. Soon after setting up our campsite, we drove over to Goodwin House to see what it’s all about. I mean, it’s hard to miss the place no matter which direction you arrive. But when we reached the entry door, we were stunned to find a sign saying that Goodwin House is closed for the season.
What? It was only August. The Labour Day long weekend was still more than a week away and this park attraction was already closed up tight for the winter. It made no sense then and still doesn’t as I write this review.
A small consolation is the handful of historical markers and artifacts on display around Goodwin House. They give a brief, interesting account of the history and importance of Saskatchewan Landing and Goodwin House.
At the other end of the large parking lot there is a large display revealing information about the park and the house. There’s also a pit toilet present. And I gotta say, the size of the parking lot alone sure implies plenty of visitors. You know, if it was open.
Campground Store
Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park does have a store and snack shack. It’s located in the heart of Bearpaw Campground, which is certainly a more convenient location than the park office. It still requires a 2.0km jaunt from Nighthawk and Riverside Campgrounds, long still from Bison Hollow. Hence the parking lot beside it.
With Swift Current 50km to the south, it’s not too surprising a park of this size has a store offering foodstuffs, snacks, camping hardware, cleaning supplies, hygiene products, and booze. The grocery options are admittedly limited, but you’ll find the basics if you’re in a pinch.
To make up for any shortcomings, the store shares space with a robust snack shack. A wide range of chilly treats are available including hard ice cream (cones, sundaes, floats, shakes), soft serve, and swirlies any of which are sure to comfort you on a hot, summer day. There is also an interesting grill menu with all your pub favourites plus a couple of breakfast items which I found unique.
You’re welcome to take your snack or meal back to your campsite or you can enjoy it on the deck and patio outside. This eating area is partially covered by a tarp which assists the surrounding trees in providing shade. It’s also home to a big screen TV so you can watch the Blue Jays while appeasing your appetite. Another something I found unique.
One last noteworthy product for sale at the campground store is propane. Getting rarer to see this in campgrounds these days, even large ones. Nice to see Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park remains on board elsewise you’ll need to travel to Swift Current to get your tanks replenished.
Dump Stations & Water Filling Station
I’d describe the dump station situation at Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park as adequate. There are three separate locations, none of which look particularly new. Not sure why I’m saying that because they’re just places to deposit your waste. I’m weird.
The oldest looking and possibly least used of the three is located on the north side of the park road across from the east end of Bison Campground. It has two lanes on either side of a central island with two outlets. There is both cleaning water for washing up and potable water for filling RV tanks available.
The other two dump stations are in surprisingly close proximity to each other in the main camping section of the park. You’ll find the newer dump station north of a secondary campground road connecting Bearpaw Campground to Sagebrush Campground. This one is a bit larger with three lanes and two islands. However, the central lane between the two islands is not comfortably wide enough for two RVs to use simultaneously. As a result, instead of four RVs being able to dump waste at the same time, only three can do so.
The older of the two is found on the north side of the park road almost directly across from the store in Bearpaw Campground. It too has a double lane with island layout and both cleanup and potable water.
Unique to both this latter dump station or any other provincial park we’ve thus far visited is a dedicated water filling station. You’ll find it as a pullout on the main park road directly across from the central dump station. It only offers a single freshwater tap but for those looking to simply fill their water tanks upon entering the park, it’s a rare convenience that lets you avoid potentially busy dump station lines.
All three dump stations are free to use.
Firewood
I will never not be fascinated that firewood is free at Saskatchewan provincial parks. It’s so counterintuitive, I don’t even care if the reasoning is somehow logical. It’s free in Saskatchewan and costs money in British Columbia; that’s Canada in a nutshell.
The primary woodlot at Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park is found at the southwest end of Bearpaw Campground. There’s a large parking lot just off the main park road next to the larger, fenced woodlot. You grab the hunks of wood you want and take them back to your site to be chopped into more useful segments. Be sure to bring an ax or hatchet.
Additional, smaller wood piles can be found at the boundary between Bison Hallow Campground and Prairie Meadow Group Sites as well as at the Equestrian Campground. These are both provided out of convenience since the trip to the main woodlot would require a few kilometres of driving.
Though free, firewood in these parts isn’t the greatest. It’s all softwood so it burns quickly. And being stored in the elements, any rain will leave it wet and potentially problematic for starting your fire. Thankfully, rain is infrequent and usually short duration followed by sun.
RECREATION AT SASKATCHEWAN LANDING PROVINCIAL PARK
Cottonwood Beach
Let’s be honest, a beach on the shore of an artificial reservoir near its upstream terminus is never going to be world beater. Even more so if said reservoir, in this case Lake Diefenbaker, is found on the Canadian prairie. There’s just a limit to what you can achieve in these parts when it comes to beaches.
That being said, Cottonwood Beach at Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park is notable attempt. The beach is admittedly not all that inspiring, but the attached day use area is quite impressive. I’m baffled that it wasn’t packed with people of all ages when we were there in late August.
The most intriguing aspect of Cottonwood Beach is the contrast between the way it looks on satellite imagery captured on May 6th and photos I took on August 21st. The former reveals a clear, presumably sandy, beach whereas by the time I took my photos the weeds, wildflowers, and grasses have overrun a significant portion of it. Only a modest enclave at its west end remains unimpacted by overgrowth, no doubt due to active intervention by the park judging from the tractor tires present in the sand. Why they don’t manicure the entire beach is beyond me.
In total, Cottonwood Beach is approximately 500m in length and its width varies with water level in the reservoir. A raised, concrete walkway with iron guardrail bounds a lengthy stretch of the central beach area. This looks great but does prevent beachgoers from accessing the sand directly anywhere they please.
The day use area bordering Cottonwood Beach is most assuredly irrigated regularly. It is green and lush, starkly so, compared to the browns and sparsity in which it lives. This oasis-like park atmosphere is welcoming and easy on the bare feet of visitors.
There are four parking lots available, suggesting Cottonwood Beach either gets very busy or used to. All four are accessible by an offshoot road from the main park road. Two of the lots are located in the heart of the day use area with paths leading to the beach from each. A third lot is an eastern extension to the westernmost central lot, joined by a short driveway between them. This is an odd lot, seemingly built to service a portion of the beach and day use area no longer in use. Finally, a fourth, massive lot is on the other side of the access road, north of the easternmost regular lot.
If you’re lucky, and feeling the heat, an ice cream treat trailer was set up in one of the parking lots when we were snooping around. I’m sure that place is hopping on hot weekends. I didn’t notice any other food or beverage offerings at Cottonwood Beach. There are many picnic tables in the grass among the big Cottonwood trees, great for anyone bringing their own supplies to have a picnic.
That rolling greenspace is also ideal for tossing a baseball or football around, maybe a Frisbee. There’s also a playground that’ll entertain the kids in your crew. Centrally positioned in the day use space, it’s a modest but modern climbing apparatus with a curly slide within a bed of sand. Large trees nearby keep portions of it shaded during the day.
Finally, if you need to relieve yourself there are two options; a large bath and changing house in the centre of the park space near the beach or two standalone bathrooms nearer the playground. All host flush toilets and sinks. The change house also has an outdoor shower for washing off after a swim. Next to this is a bin of lifejackets you can borrow when playing near the water. It’s even got a heart re-starter if your fun gets really out of hand.
Like I said, it’s an excellent day use area even if the beach itself loses its appeal as the summer ages. Perhaps the biggest detriment to Cottonwood Beach is its location. Being on the west side of Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park, it’s separated from the main campgrounds, RV parks, and cottages.
Yes, Bison Hollow Campground and Prairie Meadow Group Sites are next door, but the majority of campers are over 4km away. They either have to drive over or not bother. And judging by the very few people we encountered when exploring Cottonwood Beach, I think they’ve all decided not to bother.
Now, why more people from Swift Current and the surrounding rural area don’t come en masse is unknown to me. Perhaps they do, just not when we happened to be there. I really don’t know. But it is a nice day use area. If the encroaching plant life was regularly dealt with, it’d be a pretty decent beach too.
Campground Beach
I suppose there is some irony in me now revealing that there is a beach on the east side of the park. That it is called Secondary Beach on the paper map and Campground Beach on the trail sign says something about its stature, or lack thereof. It’s pretty much an afterthought.
It’s located at the southwest corner of Bearpaw Campground next to an open space associated with the housing development. The beach is bounded to the east by a reedy, swampy shoreline. In fact, a portion of the beach is actually separated from the shoreline by more of this reedy land.
I suspect use of this beach is limited to Bearpaw campers. There is no parking present next to the beach access. Unless you’re walking or cycling to it from other campgrounds, nobody is going to know about this beach. It’s certainly not a day use area like Cottonwood Beach.
Accessing Campground Beach is done via a trail extending from Bearpaw campground roads. There’s an ATV trail heading there as well. In the easterly direction, this trail takes you to the green space play area that is part of Bearpaw Campground. A single foot washing station is located at the trailhead to the beach.
Boat Launches
In a land where bodies of water are few and far between, a 150km plus long reservoir is king. South Saskatchewan fits the first criteria and Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park is at the west end of the latter. Flatland boat owners rejoice!
Getting those boats into the water is straightforward thanks to two boat launches located in the park. One is found on a pocket of land west of Highway 4 and north of the reservoir. Access is from the park road not the highway. The other is at Sask Landing Marina.
The standalone boat launch is simple enough. It has dual, concrete ramps into the water separated by a shared dock. A huge, gravel parking lot provides ample space for maneuvering and storage. A mess of boat trailers are stowed in the grass next to the parking lot. Not sure what the story is there. A pit toilet is available on the north side of the parking lot.
There wasn’t any activity at the boat launch when we were looking around but then we didn’t arrive on a weekend. I would assume the place is busier on weekends when the fisherfolk and recreational boaters arrive to relax after a hard work week.
Or perhaps all boat activity congregates around the Sask Landing Marina boat launch. That wouldn’t be overly surprising considering all the marina has to offer (see below).
I’ll be honest, when I conducted my brief snoop around the marina, I just assumed any boat launch there was restricted to slip renters. Not sure what my logic was but suffice it to say I didn’t look at the launch myself nor did I take any pictures of it.
Thanks to satellite imagery, I can confirm that this is a monster of a boat launch and available to all boaters. The launch itself has room for multiple simultaneous boat launchings which is impressive to me. It’s essentially two of the other boat launches stuck together with concrete descents into the water separated by two docks.
A huge gravel approach and launch should give everyone plenty of space to move their tow vehicles and trailers around, even on the busiest of days. There’s even an overflow lot attached to the north. It must be quite the bustle of activity during peak summer boating season though I must admit I didn’t notice much happening during our late August visit.
Sask Landing Marina
As alluded to above, Sask Landing Marina is the hub for watersport recreation in Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park. A full-service marina, it has just about anything you could possibly need to enjoy an afternoon, or summer, on Lake Diefenbaker. Except for the boat.
Sask Landing Marina has a robust rental department with paddle boards, kayaks, and canoes. Great for folks wanting a leisurely paddle around the lake. They also have water skis, tubes, and kneeboards. Oh, and life jackets. Great for folks wanting a livelier experience on the water. Assuming they have a motorboat, of course. Because the one thing you can’t rent at the marina is a motorboat.
I’m sure there are many sensible reasons for this, but it nonetheless surprises me. I’d have thought renting a motorboat for an afternoon of tubing or fishing would be popular with vacationers at Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park. Apparently not. You either own a boat or watch those that do. Perhaps with envy.
If you do own a boat, Sask Landing Marina hosts 190 slips ranging in length from 21’ to 40’ plus. Slips are available for daily, weekly, monthly, or seasonal moorage fees. Fuel and tank pumpout services are also available for a fee.
The marina store boasts a robust selection of fishing (lures and bait), boating, and RV/camping supplies alongside refreshments (pop, slushies) and ice. Seriously, you could show up with nothing but a credit card and be fishing or waterskiing in no time. It’s quite impressive, at least to my naïve eyes.
Fishing is very popular on Lake Diefenbaker and the lake is home to myriad sport fishing species both stocked and native. These include northern pike, rainbow trout, and walleye. Walleye are particularly popular for tournaments and Sask Landing Marina holds one such tournament each July.
All of this is found in the northeast portion of Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park, on your right not far from the entry office. It’s north of the golf course and across the road from Landing View Resort campground.
Marina Mini Golf
The other activity Sask Landing Marina has to offer, and the focus of our recreational pursuit, is Marina Mini Golf. It’s hard to miss this 18-hole course as you’ll pass by it whether you’re walking to the marina store, the slips, or driving to the marina boat launch.
Marina Mini Golf is gorgeous and well maintained. There are flower beds and water features around various holes. Irrigation keeps the grass lush and green. And several large trees add some shade in an otherwise barren space.
I found this mini golf course superior to the one at Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park Centre Block. The hole variety is better, and the overall condition of the course is superior. More importantly, Marina Mini Golf costs only $8.50 for adults (summer of 2025). That’s nearly half the price Cypress Hills was charging! Me thinks someone is greedy.
Sask Landing Golf Resort
If you prefer “real” golf, Sask Landing Golf Resort is ready to entertain or frustrate you, probably both. Located on the north side of the lake and east of Highway 4, you drive right through this golf course on the way to the entry office.
Once you’re past the gatehouse, the course clubhouse is on your right just as you approach Landing View Resort on the left. A large, gravel parking lot welcomes you, just be sure to abide the designated spots for club champions and the most recent hole-in-one maker.
The clubhouse contains a reasonably sized merchandise store alongside a larger restaurant and bar. You can rent carts as well as clubs if needed. A putting green and a couple of shot cages allow you to warm-up prior to your round.
I’m not a golfer but prices seemed reasonable to me. They offer 9 and 18 hole rates as well as season memberships. The premium to play on weekends is not shocking, but Mondays offer a $2/hole with cart deal which is nice. Kids under 12 play free every day, all season. That’s a fantastic way to get your youngsters into the sport.
Like the mini golf course, Sask Landing Golf Resort is larger than it’s Cypress Hills counterpart. And seemingly nicer, though I have golfed neither personally. It’s described as a prairie course which I surmise is similar to links style courses. With fairways and greens surrounded by prairie grasses and no trees, I expect views to be expansive and wind problematic.
Farmer’s Market
I’m kinda neurotic when it comes to planning our camping trips. I like to know everything we’re going to do before we get there. It gives me comfort. But sometimes activities catch me unaware and I’m forced to be spontaneous.
The Farmers Market at Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park is one such activity. I only learned of it after our arrival when I noticed papers stuck on posts advertising said market. It got me a little excited and on Friday between 3:00pm and 8:00pm I made sure to swing by the Amphitheatre between Bearpaw Campground and Sagebrush Campground to see what artisanal wares were available for purchase.
Unfortunately, the Farmers Market wasn’t much to write home a blog about. Only 4 or 5 (I didn’t bother to count) vendors showed up and most weren’t selling items of interest to me. We did buy a $10 loaf of sourdough and the veggie stand looked tasty, but we had no need of any such food.
It was a bit disappointing. I’m generally too cheap to buy anything at these markets anyway, but perhaps I expected too much this late in the season? Maybe, like Goodwin House, the summer peak was in the rearview mirror and only a few stragglers were left to sell their goods. I mean, we did miss the last Farmers Market at Cypress Hills only a few days prior. I guess I need to recalibrate my belief that Labour Day is the end of summer.
Amphitheatre
Between Bearpaw Campground and Sagebrush Campground, immediately off the campground road (across from a dump station), is a clearing bound by forest. In it is a parking lot being used as boat storage. Within the parking lot there is a gazebo called the Customer Service Kiosk. Inside the kiosk is an AED for resuscitating heart attack victims, an emergency phone, and various posted bits of park information.
Stretching southward from this parking lot is a green space. It does not appear to have a specified purpose though I suppose nearby campers can use it for tossing a ball or frisbee around. This is also where the Farmers Market occurs.
Even more southward, at the edge of the trees, you’ll find the park Amphitheatre and communal firepit (to the left of the stage). There is an information board nearby that presumably shares programming information.
I think this amphitheatre is still active but we didn’t witness any programming during our three day stay. I, therefore, can’t really comment on the veracity of this statement or the value of any park programming should it exist. It would be a shame if there wasn’t anything happening here but these days such programming is fading into history.
Lookout Point
Lookout Point is a viewpoint in the northwest side of the park. It’s a needle-eye style road heading south from the main park road. It’s found on an elevated prominence overlooking the day use area associated with Cottonwood Beach.
There are a couple picnic tables present if you want to have a lunch with a view. A couple of educational placards share information about the geological history of the Saskatchewan Landing area. It’s a nice enough spot for a look but wasn’t a place we felt demanded an extended stay.
Buffalo Rubbing Stone
Buffalo Rubbing Stone is a modest attraction found along a range road heading north of the park road in the northwest side of the park. The large erratic is roughly 300m from the park road. It’s easily viewable from the range road so there’s no real need to get out of your vehicle. You can stroll through the grass if you really want to get a close look at it. We chose to simply take a quick gander out our vehicle windows.
Interpretive Trails
For those that prefer a more nature-focused recreational endeavour, Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park boasts three interpretive trails for your hiking pleasure. All three are described as being moderate in difficulty. There is some elevation variation on all three but nothing that will overly stress people of typical fitness. Best of all, you can clearly see the trails on satellite imagery.
The most convenient trail for most campers is the Ridges and Ravines Trail. At 1.15km in length, it is also the shortest of the three trails. The trailhead is located on the northwest side of the main park road just a few metres east of the first Bearpaw Campground entrance. An out and back trail, the first leg is along a ravine and the return is on a ridge culminating at a viewpoint overlooking the campground.
The longest of the three is Prairie Vista Trail which is located in the southwest portion of the park, west of the Equestrian Campground. The trail is an inverted lasso shape covering 3.5km while gaining 110m in elevation. The endpoint is an elevated viewpoint that should provide a great view of the park and lake valley.
The third hike, and the one we chose to do, is the Rings Ruts and Remnants Trail. It’s located in the southeast portion of the park, accessible from a gravel road opposite Goodwin House. It is 2.7km in length and hosts six points of interest which is far more than either of the other two trails. I’ve written a full review of this hike which you can read here.
One final hiking-adjacent item I’d like to mention here is the Beaver Flat 50 Trails. The Beaver Flat 50 is an endurance race that occurs in the park annually (10 years and counting). The race course comprises 50km of trail legs all found in the southwest part of the park.
These trial legs cover the entire valley side from the highway to west of Prairie Vista Trail. I don’t believe any of these are official trails nor are they demarked all summer long, but the park trail map shows them and if you’re looking for a more challenging hike, give them a go.
Stargazing
As mentioned, the primary driver behind our three-night visit to Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park was stargazing. This part of Saskatchewan is sparsely populated and with the closest population centre, Swift Current, 50km away we hoped for excellent, dark skies. We would have got them were it not for the dam shower house by Riverside Campground.
Our special Nighthawk campsite was brilliant once night came. We could set up our equipment in the open field across from us or scramble up the hill behind us. Unfortunately, the lampposts by the shower house were in no way dark sky friendly. It didn’t ruin the entirety of our sky, but it most definitely impacted our southern view.
Nonetheless, we did manage to capture some great shots of the Milky Way and Andromeda Galaxy (M31). Much to our amazement and delight, we discovered that my new cell phone captures better astrophotography than our DSLR. I did not anticipate that proving true, but what a revelation.
Wildlife
We didn’t see a lot of wildlife during our three day stay at Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park. Whether that is commonplace or reflective of the time of year, I do not know. The cow we encountered on our hike can hardly be labeled as “wildlife”.
On the evening of our second night, we discovered an owl was hunting in the open grass next to our campsite. It was hard to miss on account of the racket this creature was making. I don’t speak owl, but this one was either a fantastic hunter and letting us all know it or a repeated failure and venting. Whichever is the case, it was quite the sound, and occasionally sight, to behold.
Pests
Unfortunately, some wildlife is more pest than delight. Mosquitoes fit that category. While not aggressive like the bees nor as plentiful as they likely are in the spring, they nonetheless made their presence known once the sun went down. The same can be said of flies, though they were less numerous and significantly less painful.
This is one situation where a breeze helps. When the wind is blowing, the bugs have a harder time annoying you. As the sun went down, the breezes let up a bit, and we started to notice them more.
By nightfall, however, things turned back in our favour as the cooler temperatures seemed to quell the flying insects. It wasn’t cold, per se, but the worst of the mosquitoes disappeared once it was fully dark.
Human pests are not so easily disrupted. Our campsite and chosen campground were plenty peaceful, but others may not be. This is absolutely a family-oriented provincial park, and the main campgrounds are definitely going to have happy, loud kids enjoying their summer vacations. Your mileage may vary on whether they meet the threshold of pests or not, but if you are the grumpier sort, be aware of what this place is.
Generators are another human caused pest that I will openly harangue. Thankfully, pretty much every campsite in Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park has electrical service. The lone exception would be the Equestrian Campground, and it’s isolated all by itself, so generators are one irritation you’re likely to avoid here. Woohoo!
CONCLUSION AND RATING
Time to wrap up another ridiculously long provincial park review by circling back to my lede where I questioned whether I’d feel different had we visited this park in a different order. I enjoyed our stay at Saskatchewan Landing, vicious bees notwithstanding. But I couldn’t shake the feeling we were missing something. I still can’t.
I expected the place to be packed with campers enjoying one of the final weekends of the summer. The weather was certainly nice; no reason for people to stay away. And yet, the campgrounds were surprisingly lacking in campers. Only Riverside and Sagebrush seemed to have a majority of their sites filled. Mighty Bearpaw was oddly lacking in people. And Bison Hollow and Nighthawk were almost empty. I have no idea why.
Goodwin House being closed up already only added to my suspicion. Is this par for the course at Saskatchewan Landing or did we just happen to show up on a dead weekend? Maybe the crazy bees and ever-present breeze/wind have turned people off of this sprawling, resort park. Maybe the rest of the summer mosquitoes are incessant. I really have no idea and I may never know. I can only say that it wasn’t as busy as I expected.
Maybe that’s a good thing? It’s not like lesser crowds are a bad. We certainly didn’t struggle to get a campsite or do any of the recreational activities we set out to do. But I’d be lying if this experience didn’t taint my thoughts of the place. We are out of the loop on something.
With that all being said, I still have to recommend this place. I’ll stubbornly give Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park 4.20 Baby Dill Pickles out of 5. While not quite as robust as Cypress Hills, it nonetheless had all the amenities expected of a resort style provincial park. Our campsite was fantastic. We enjoyed our hike. And I’ll take reasonably priced mini golf over an inground pool any day.
My minor grievances are particular to me (shower house light pollution and push button taps) or no fault of the park (insane bees). Having the main beach and day use area so far from the primary campgrounds and park area is a misstep imho. Oh, and the directional signage on the interpretive trail could be improved a bit. Okay, some of this is the park’s fault, but none of it’s a dealbreaker. We had a good time wrapping up our weeklong Saskatchewan camping trip and I think you will too.
Ranking the campgrounds is tricky. Each of us has different preferences and purposes in choosing our campsites. Furthermore, there are specific campsites in each campground that are worth targeting over all others. Even Bison Hollow, which is clearly the least favourable campground, has two amazing sites with tremendous views of Lake Diefenbaker. And I really did like Nighthawk though I recognize a lot of readers will cringe at that.
So, to rank them how I think typical campers would, my first choice would be Sagebrush followed by Riverside, Bearpaw, and Nighthawk. Bison Hollow would be last. Ask me again tomorrow and I’ll likely change the order of the middle three.
Regardless of the order, take a chance and visit Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park at least once. I get the feeling it could use the company.